1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to an electrical coupler for releasably connecting a hanging lamp by a hanging chain to the ceiling mount of an electrical receptacle, in order to permit a hanging lamp to be quickly and safely connected to or disconnected from the chain mounted to the ceiling without unwiring the lamp from the electrical receptacle.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
The connection and/or disconnection of a hanging lamp--generally known as a chandelier--has historically presented a problem to the unskilled layperson in that the services of an electrician, or at least a "handyman," have been required to accomplish the task.
Prior art couplers and adapters do not reveal any structure that would render sufficiently simple the job of coupling and/or uncoupling a chandelier to the ceiling mount of an electrical receptacle. Accordingly, hanging a chandelier, or removing one in order to clean or repair it, remains beyond the realm of a layperson. Moreover, prior art devices pose potentially fatal safety hazards, as is more fully discussed below.
It is also to be appreciated that new installations of hanging lamps and the like are greatly simplified. Typically, installation is accomplished by a two person team. The first person does the wiring of the lamp to the ceiling based electrical receptacle, while the second person holds and supports the weight of the chandelier. With the present invention, only one person is required for the installation--firstly, the installer wires the first housing of the coupler to the electrical receptacle of the ceiling; secondly, the installer wires the second housing of the coupler to the lamp and, lastly, the installer connects the coupler housings via a socket means.
As best known to Applicant, the prior art encompasses U.S. Pat. No. 1,007,054 to Bazell; U.S. Pat. No. 1,590,512 to Hopkins; U.S. Pat. No. 2,237,956 to Arras; U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,417 to Fenton; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,908,587, 1,914,993, 1,717,877 and 1,666,411 to D'Olier, Jr.
The closest reference, U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 to D'Olier, warrants particular attention. The U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 to D'Olier shows a double interface coupler arrangement requiring separate sockets and plugs at both ends of an extension, which extension additionally serves to hold and support the chandelier. Thus, the structure of the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 requires two plugs and two sockets, one set at each end thereof, while the structure of Applicant's invention exhibits only a single interface and, thereby, only one plug and one socket secured in a single plane by an easily connectible/disconnectible circumferential external threading.
The Applicant's device can be located at the top of the chandelier chain arrangement and, as such, permits any type of chandelier chain to be used in connection therewith. Such is not possible with the electrical coupler of the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 because that arrangement requires the entire length of the chandelier cord or chain for its operation with, as above noted, a separate socket arrangement at both the top and bottom thereof. Moreover, with the coupler of the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 it is not possible to vary the location of the couplers, whereas the present inventive electrical coupler is adapted for insertion at any intermediate point along the entire length of the hanging chain associated with the hanging lamp. In other words, the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 defines a permanent connection between the ceiling receptacle and the top of the lamp; while with the instant invention, the claimed structure is a permanent part only of the hanging chain, not of the hanging lamp or the ceiling receptacle.
Finally, the electrical connector of D'Olier's U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 presents certain safety problems. The structure of the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 electrical connector presents a safety concern in that, in the event that insulation were to become abraded-off the current-carrying wires thereof, the entire chandelier chain would become electrified and impose a serious hazard. In Applicant's design, the electrical wiring is completely covered by the non-conductive first and second housings. Therefore, the likelihood of damage to the interior wires is remote and, were such damage to occur, no safety problem would exist because of the insulative housings.
A further safety hazard in the design of the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 lies in the ceiling interface. More particularly, if the upper (ceiling) interface of the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 design is not removed first, the result will be a "live" outlet at the bottom, swinging freely at a level within the reach of an unknowing adult or child. In Applicant's design, the chandelier coupler can be suspended at ceiling level and thereby kept within three inches of the ceiling surface. Accordingly, it is impossible for a "hot" wire to be touched by a household member.
As a result of the above-described differences in structure between D'Olier's U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 and the instant invention, the following functional advantages are achieved:
1. The length of the hanging chain can be easily shortened during installation, removal and re-installation of the chandelier. Since the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 structure can only be used with the entire length of the hanging chain utilized, the electrical connector of the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 is of highly limited practical value.
2. More than simply eliminating one of the plugs of the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 structure, the present invention changes the location of the plug to yield a safer electrical environment when installing, removing or cleaning the chandelier. As above noted, the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877 structure potentially permits a "live" outlet to hang at a height where unknowing adults or children might touch it; whereas with the structure of the instant invention, coupling or uncoupling can be accomplished at a height high enough to make it difficult to be unintentionally touched, particularly by children; and
3. The requirement for the direct connection of the lamp to the end of the hanging chain, as is the case in the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877, increases the possibility of physical damage to the lamp during the disconnect operation at which time many forces, stresses and impacts are invariably involved in separating a plug of the type shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,877. Such problem is also eliminated with Applicant's structure.
Hence, none of the above-cited art, nor any other known to Applicant, provides and electrical coupler for releasably connecting and/or disconnecting a hanging lamp by a hanging chain to the ceiling mount of an electrical receptacle that would render the same usable by a layperson having little or no knowledge of electrical wiring or circuitry.